Control system for a high-frequency welding and cutting press

ABSTRACT

A welding and cutting press having a platen movable transversely over its work support to plural working positions is provided with a control comprising a plurality of sets of adjustable control means for establishing different values of operating conditions at said plurality of working positions of the press.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Robert Rose Schwalbach am Taunus; Anton Muhlbach, Frankfurt am Main, Germany [21] Appl. No. 807,786

[22] Filed Mar. 17, 1969 [45] Patented Mar. 23, 1971 [73] Assignee USM Corporation Flemington, NJ.

[32] Priority Mar. 20, 1968 [33] Germany [54] CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A HIGH-FREQUENCY WELDING AND CUTTING PRESS 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs. [52] US. Cl 219/ 10.53, 219/1067, 100/226 [51] Int. Cl .B23k 13/02,

[50] Field of Search ..12/(lnquired 219/1053, 10.67; 100/226 [5 6] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,595,502 5/1952 Aicher et al. 219/ 10.53 X

2,775,676 12/1956 Granberry et al.... 2l9/l0.67X

2,799,759 7/1957 Blond et al 219/ 10.53

3,098,916 7/1963 Souligney 219/1053 Primary Examiner-J. V. Truhe Assistant Examiner-L. H. Bender AttorneysW. Bigelow Hall and Richard A. Wise ABSTRACT: A welding-and cutting press having a platen movable transversely over its work support to plural working positions is provided with a control comprising a plurality of sets of adjustable control means for establishing different values of operating conditions at said plurality of working positions of the press.

PATENTED HAR23 :97:

SHEET 2 [IF 4 CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A MGM-FREQUENCY WFEHJDHNG AND QUETHNG PRESS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTlON 1. Field of the invention This invention relates to high-frequency welding and cutting presses and more particularly to improvements in controls for such presses for controlling the application of pressure and high-frequency energy for the fabrication of plastic sheet material which is weldable by dielectric heat. Commonly such presses have an insulated pressure platen that can be connected to a high-frequency welding generator and can be lowered against a support table, onto a die on the material to be processed, in order to exert the required contact pressure during welding and the cutting pressure after solidification of the weld.

2. Description of the Prior Art Welding and cutting machines of this kind tind application for various purposes especially in the manufacture of shoes. in addition to many plastic materials, leather and/or textiles can be joined to each other by the insertion of weldable plastic intermediate layers or the application of adhesives which are high frequency active. Besides the cutting out of the welded materials, embossing of, for instance, ornamental seams is possible. Through the insertion of suitable hard materials, a stiffening of the welded articles can be obtained, as is desired, for instance, for buckles or belts. In a similar manner, elastic effects can be produced by working in plastic foam material, and cushion inserts for shoes and similar articles can be manufactured.

For each of these applications there is required, in addition to a suitably formed die an individual adjustment of the values of certain operating conditions such as those of the necessary contact pressure during welding, the welding power, the welding period, the subsequent dwell time for the solidification of the weld before the material is severed and the termination or lower limit of platen movement in the cutting stroke, depending on, among other circumstances, the height of the die. Large setup times result from this each time that a new product is to be produced on the machine.

in order to avoid loss of time which might be consumed in placing of the materials on the table and in putting on and removing the die and the welded article, it is known to distribute the operation over two work stations on a correspondingly wide support table against which the pressure platen is brought alternatingly while the other work station is free for the above-mentioned auxiliary operations. However, a setup time for changing the operating conditions on each such alternation may still be required.

SUMMARY OF THE lNVENTlON it is accordingly an object of the invention to eliminate this drawback.

in accordance with a feature of the present invention a control for a high-frequency welding and cutting press of the lastmentioned type is provided, by which operating conditions, e.g., the welding contact pressure, the welding period, the welding power, the dwell time for the solidification of the weld and the termination of the cutting stroke, can be preadjusted separately for the two work stations and can automatically be switched upon a change of the work station. By means of such a control it becomes possible to perform, on one and the same machine, two different welding and cutting operations alternatingly side-by-side without loss in setup time as by having to reset it on each alternation, whereby the utility of the machine is substantially increased.

in an advantageous illustrative embodiment of the invention, the lowering of the pressure platen against the support table is accomplished by a single-action hydraulic actuator cylinder with spring return. The pressure fluid supply to the cylinder is controlled by a piloted pressure limiting valve the pilot line of which is controlled by a three-way valve operable to a venting position when the machine is idling, to a throttling position for the generation of the welding contact pressure and to a closed position for the generation of the cutting pressure. For changing with station change the welding contact pressure, which may differ for two different application cases, the pilot line connection is automatically changed from one throttle valve to another with the change of work station, whereby the pilot line of the pressure limiting valve can be vented with a different degree of throttling in the two working positions with the three-way valve in the throttling position.

For the adjustment of the welding periods, two welding-timing relays which are adjustable independently of each other, are operatively associated with one each of the work stations for controlling the on and off condition of the high-frequency welding generator. in a similar manner there can be associated with each welding-timing relay an independently adjustable dwell time relay after whose rundown both actuator windings of the three-way valve are deenergized to cause cutting pres sure to be exerted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further features and advantages of the invention will best be understood from the following description with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a schematic front elevation of a welding and cutting press embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the hydraulic circuit of fluid pressure operated means of the illustrative press; and

FIG. 3a and 3b are together a diagram of the electrical circuits of the press.

DESCRlPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, a box-shaped base i carries a stationary support plate 2 for the materials which are to be welded and subsequently cut out. The side stands 3 and 4 which extend upwardly from the base i to the left end and to the right, are connected at the upper ends by a beam 55. In guide bearings (not shown) of the yoke 5 a carriage d can be traversed by an electric motor between a left position which is shown in solid lines in FIG. l, and a right position, indicated by dash-dotted lines, as is further explained below in connection with FIG. 3.

On the lower side of the carriage 6 is attached a single-action hydraulic actuator cylinder '7, to the downward-protruding piston 8 of which is fastened a carrier plate 9 which carries, via insulating sleeves 10, a pressure platen ll which serves as an electrode in the welding operation. Several return springs connect the carrier plate 9 and the carriage 6, of which only spring 12 is shown in FIG. l, and act to lift the pressure platen ll, after each welding and cutting operation, from the die previously placed on the material, and to return the platen to the initial position shown.

A main switch ll arranged on a control panel B on the left side of the machine as well as a pump starting button PB l and a pump stopping button ST serve for switching on the electrical and hydraulic part of the machine in a manner explained in detail hereinafter for the preparation of a ready condition. In order to move the carriage 6 from one end position to the other, which movement is followed immediately by the weldlug-cutting operation, electrical start buttons PBZ for movement to the left and P83 for movement to the right are provided at the base 1. At the end of the movement to the right switching dogs 13 actuate a limit switch LS4 and at the end of the movement to the left, a limit switch LS5, for effecting the interruption of the carriage travel and initiation of the welding-cutting process.

Upon lowering of the piston b, a switching rod 14, in contact with the carrier plate 9 and adjustable as to length, releases a limit switch LS6, movable with the carriage 6, for the upper limit position of the pressure platen lit. Switching rods 15 and 116 are screwed into the carrier plate 9 and loosely engage angle rods 17 and llii, respectively, which are guided for vertical movement at the actuator cylinder '7, the switching rods being thus arranged to actuate, at the bottom of the cutting stroke, the stroke switches LS7 and LS8, of which the left-hand switch LS7 becomes effective only in the left position of the carriage, and the right-hand switch LS3 only in the right position of the carriage. By varying the screw-in depth of the switching rods l5, 16 the cutting stroke can be adapted to the height of the dies used in the left or right operating position of the carriage. in case the cutting stroke exceeds a length, say 0.4- inch, for which safety regulations deny onehand trip, an impulse switch LS9, actuated by an inclined surface 19 at the switching rod M, initiates the return of the pressure platen after a cutting stroke of the predetermined length in compliance with such safety regulations, unless LS9 is disabled by pressing a two-hand safety tie button PBltl arranged at the base l between the start buttons P32 and Phil.

Selector switches SSH and S812, arranged at the control panel B, for the adjustment of the welding power as well as other control devices and meters located there will be described hereinafter in connection with the description of the electrical control and the operation of the machine.

In the lower part ll of the machine is arranged a highfrequency welding generator 20 from an insulated output terminal of which leads an ascending line 37 exactly in the center of the machine to a distribution bus 33 with contact springs 39 at the angled left and right ends, one of which engages in either of the two working positions of the carriage one of two sets of contact blades 3-h insulatedly supported at the actuating cylinder by which the high-frequency energy is fed to the pressure platen ill in a manner not shown. By the symmetrical arrangement of these current transmission elements the equivalence for the high-frequency welding process of the two work stations is assured.

in MG. 2, is shown the hydraulic systems of the welding and cutting machine. A pump 21, driven by an electric motor Ml, suitably arranged in the beam 5 of the machine, draws the pressure fluid, cleaned by a filter 22, from a sump 23 and supplies it to a line 24 which is in constant communication with the work chamber of the actuator cylinder 7 A line 25 branches off from the line 24 to a hydraulically piloted pressure limiting valve 26 through which the fluid may be exhausted back to the sump. A pilot line 23 is provided for controlling the pressure limiting valve 26. Pressure in the line 28 opposes opening of the valve by pressure in its relief control line R which runs to a two-position solenoid valve 27 with an actuating winding SVil. A branch line 29 of the line 2% leads to a three-way solenoid valve with two actuating windings SV2 and 8V3.

In the idling condition of the machine the solenoid valve 30 is actuated to the right by means of the actuating winding 8V2 and establishes a direct connection of the pilot lines 28 and 29 with the sump, whereby the pressure limiting valve 26 also opens completely because of the pressure in the line R and prevents a pressure buildup in the line 24. For the welding operation, which requires a relatively low contact pressure, the solenoid valve 30 is deflected to the left beyond the center position by means of the second actuating winding 8V3, whereby a connection from the line 2Q is established via an intermediate line 31 to a two-position switching valve 32 (see also FlG. l), which in the left position of the carriage 6 is deflected to its right-hand position according to FIG. 2 by a switching cam 33 attached to the latter, while in the right position of the carriage d it assumes its left-hand position under the action of a return spring 34. Thereby the line 31 is connected, depending on the position of the switching valve 32, with the sump through either a left or a right pressure limiting valve 35 or 36, respectively, the opening pressures of which are adjustable, independently of each other, by means of the controls DL and DR at the control panel B, for determining thereby through suitable pressure control of the valve 26 the magnitude of the pressure in the line 2-4 by which the piston is in the actuator cylinder 7 is lowered and the pressure platen M is pressed against the die in the left or right position of the carriage for the duration of the welding operation. Prior to this, an indicating pressure switch PS gives an ON pulse for the welding generator during the pressure buildup in the actuating cylinder 7 upon reaching a given pressure equal for both working positions of the carriage. The pressure switch PS is vented when the solenoid valve 30 is deflected to the right the next time.

After the completion of the weld and subsequent cooling during a definite dwelling time, the actuating winding 5V3 is disconnected, and the solenoid valve 3h assumes its center position shown in FIG. 2, in which the branch line 29 is shut off. Thereby the pressure limiting valve 26 closes also and lets the pressure in the line 24 increase to the maximum pressure of the pump 21, which pressure causes the cutting through of the welded materials. By renewed excitation of the actuating winding 5V2 of the solenoid valveliltl the lines 29 and Eli) are finally vented again directly into the sump, and the return springs 12 return the piston 8 with the carrier plate 9 and the pressure platen 11 into the raised initial position.

During the events described above the actuating winding SVll of the solenoid valve 27 is excited in the manner described further on to keep the valve in the closed position. When the machine is switched off, it opens to the sump and thereby prevents a pressure increase in the control line 28 and thereby in the line 24 leading to the actuator cylinder 7 as an otherwise-occurring consequence of the simultaneous return of the valve 30 into its closing center position, while the pump 21 runs down under the influence of the rotating masses after the electric motor Ml. is disconnected.

FIG. 3 shows the electric circuits ofthe machine for the control of the hydraulic valves as well as of the carriage motor and the high-frequency welding generator which is practically located in the base 1, all switch contacts being shown in their rest position.

A three-phase primary bus system 41 can be connected via the aforesaid main circuit breaker H with a source of threephase electric power, not shown. The primary bus system supplies with electric power, via contacts' KlVll-A, KMl-B and KMl-C of a first motor circuit breaker KMl, the drive motor Ml for the pressure fluid pump 21 of the hydraulic system. Further, the carriage motor designated as M2 in FIG. 2 can be switched to travel to the left or to the right via the contacts KM2-A, ltMZ-B, ltM2-C and lfilvlfs-A, KMB-B, KIVB-C, respectively. There is connected to the primary system 41, the primary winding of a control transformer TR, to the secondary winding of which are connected the main buses 42 and d3 of a secondary wiring system.

In the secondary wiring system are found, in lines 4% to 79 running between the main buses 42 and 43, all other switch contacts of the three motor circuit breakers liMll, KMZ and Ki /l3, the above-mentioned pushbuttons or switches as well as a number of additional switches and relays with their exciter coils and contacts.

In a first such line Ml are inserted in series, ahead of the actuating coil KMl of the circuit breaker for the pump motor Ml, the pump stop button ST and the pump start button P81. in parallel to the pump start button FBI is connected a holding contact l(MllD of the pump breaker. There is further connected in parallel to the breaker coil KMll the actuating winding SVl for the two-position solenoid valve 27, which thereby is always actuated automatically together with the pump breaker. A branch wire 45 from the line 44 ahead of the breaker coil Kit/l1, leads via a relay contact KtZ-A, normally closed, and switching contacts Kill-A, Klltl-B, 11(5-A and K543 for the alternate excitation of the actuating coils 8V2 and 8V3) arranged in parallel lines for the right-hand and lefthand deflection of the three-way solenoid valve 2h from its center position, the switching contact Kid-B in operating condition bridging the switching contacts Klltl-A and lift-B to the actuating coil 8V2.

Connected in series with a line 47 and the actuating winding 8V3 are two delayed break contacts TDZl-A and TD4-A of two delay relays T133 and TDd, explained in detail hereinafter. Also connected to line 47 is the line as, which branches off from the main line 42 and contains the normally open contact KltZ-B of a setup auxiliary relay K12.

A line d9 branches into the lines 50 to 55, of which the lines 5i) and Si go, via the button contacts PBIi-B, PBZ-A and Phil-B, PBS-A, respectively, of the start buttons P32 and PB3 (see MG. 1) in a mutually interlocking manner, to the breaker coils lil l2 and lib/l3 of the carriage motor M2. in circuit with said coils are inserted, besides break contacts KMM, LS5A and ZQMZ-C, LSd-A, respectively, normally open contacts iii. in and iii llh, respeetively,-of an auxiliary relay ltllll, to hold the piston 7 carrying the pressure platen ill in the upper position. Holding contacts ltMZ-li and ltMSl-H, respectively, in the lines 52 and 53, ei fect latching of the motor breakers KMZ and lib i3 after the operation of the start buttons P82, PB? until the break contacts LS5A and LSd-A, respectively, of the limit switches LS5, LS4 in series with the breaker coils open the latching circuit. Further normally open contacts Pi'iZ-C and PB3-C, respectively, of the start buttons P32, P83 in the lines 54 and 55 give current pulses to the auxiliary relays K2 and K3 for the duration of the actuation of the buttons.

A line Ed originating at the bus 42; branches into lines 57 and 55h each of which contains a further normally open contact Mid-h and LSd-B, respectively, of the switches LS5, LS4 in series with the actuating coils of the auxiliary relays KXZ and M3 for the direction command left or right," respectively.

From the bus 42 extends a line 59 with the actuating coil R4 of a wiping relay, which can be switched on by both the auxiliary relay KXZ as well as the auxiliary relay KY3 via make contacts liSZ-A and KXTa-A, which are inserted in parallel. Through the wiping relay ltd an unintentional start upon switching on the machine is prevented. From the line 59 branches off, behind the auxiliary relay contacts KXZ-A, KXE -A, a line as to the auxiliary setup relay K12, already mentioned above, via the normally open contact lBlZl-A of a manually operable selector switch P813 for setting up the machine, which is located at the control panel B, as well as via the normally closed contacts lQi-C and Kill-C of the auxiliary relays E42, R3.

The operation of the above-mentioned setup selector switch is operative to interrupt via a normally closed contact P813- of that switch, a line til starting at the bus 42, which line leads to a pressure relay K5 via the normally open contacts K4l-A and KXA. The pressure relay K5 receives a brief pulse from the wiping relay contact ltd-A and is self-latching via a make contact lift-l8 shunted across the contacts lid-A in the line 62, in series with the contact Kid-B of a cutting operation relay hill, described hereinafter.

From the line 62 branches off, between the break contact Kill-B and the holding contact K5+B, a line as withthree normally open contacts KX5-B, itZ-A and ltSl-A, arranged therein, to an auxiliary relay KX5, by which lowering of the piston 7 upon switching on the machine is prevented. The make contact KXB herein eliects self-latching if the relay KXS has received a voltage pulse due to operation of one of the auxiliary relay K2, K3 via their contacts KZ-A or liS-A, respectively. Ahead of these contacts ltXd-B, KZ-A and MA another wire on branches off from line 63, which wire branches into lines as and as to two precommand relays K6 and it? for welding in the left or right operating position of the carriage d. The precommand relays are excited by the closing of the series-connected contacts liXZ-B and KXd-E, respectively, oi the direction command relays left (KXZ) or right (K743) and latch via the contacts ltd-B and K'i-B, respectively, which establish, via crossed lines 67 and 625, a direct connection between the line (id and the excited precornrnand relay and simultaneously disable the other precornmand relay for excitation as long as latching continues.

in a further line 69 is connected the indicating pressure switch PS, which closes upon reaching an adjustable precontact pressure. Depending on which of the two above-mentioned precommand relays lid and K7 is excited due to selflatching, voltage is applied upon the closing of the pressure switch PS, via a branch line ill containing the make contact lib-A, to an auxiliary welding relay K8, or via a branch line it containing the contact lt7-A to an auxiliary welding relay K9.

Upon excitation of the auxiliary welding relay K8 a contact lib-A located in a further branch line 72 energizes a welding timer relay TlDl for welding in the left position of the carriage. Analogously, a contact KS -A located in a fourth branch line 73 switches on, upon excitation of the auxiliary welding relay K9, a welding timer relay TD2 for welding in the right position of the carriage. The running out of the timer relays can be monitored by clocks at the control panel B, on which clocks the desired welding period can be adjusted, independently for the left and right carriage positions, by means of adjustable presetting pointers.

A line 74 starting from the bus 42 leads, via a contact TDll-B which closes in the timer relay TDll upon completion of the welding cycle, to a dwell timer relay TD3, and in parallel thereto to a dwell timer relay TDd, via a contact TIDE-B which closes in the timer relay TD2 upon completion of the welding cycle. The running down of the dwell time relays, which thus starts immediately after the completion of the welding cycle of the associated welding timer relay, can be monitored in a similar manner as with the welding timer relay by means of clocks at the control panel B, and here also adjustable presetting pointers allow an independent adjustment of the desired dwell times after the welding in the left or right position, respectively, of the carriage.

After the end of the dwell time, one of the above-mentioned delay contacts TDd-A or TDd-A, respectively, depending on the position of the carriage, opens in the line 47 and interrupts the excitation of the actuating winding 8V3 of the three-way solenoid valve 3h, whereby the valve 39 assumes its center position and initiates the cutting stroke with maximum pump pressure. At the end of the cutting stroke, depending on the position of the carriage and therefore of the excitation of either the auxiliary relay K8 (left) or of the auxiliary relay K9 (right), one of the two stroke terminating switches LS7 or LSd, respectively, (see also HG. ll) becomes etfective and switches on the termination relay Kill, located in the line '75, via the contacts lid-C and K JC respectively, which are in series with the parallel-connected switches LS7 and LSh, of the contact ltllZ-C of the setup relay K112, which normally is without current. Two indicator lamps PL]; and PLZ, connected behind the limit switches LS7 and LS8 directly to the main bus 53 indicate, with the adjustment of the stroke as explained below, the operation of the switches LS7, LS8.

To the termination relay Kill leads a conductor 76 via contacts lib-B and'll '9B, the switch LS9, designed as a normally open contact, as well as via a contact PBlil-A of the two-hand safety tie button Phld, which joins with the line 75 above the break contact ltllZ-C of the setup relay K112. Serially connected break contacts ill-B and lid-B bridge the two-hand safety tie button contact PBlti-A as long as neither of the auxiliary relays K2, K3 is excited.

The stroke termination relay Kill latches through Kill-C after the reopening of the switch LS7 or LS8, respectively, or after the reopening of a circuit through LS9 and lBltl-C until the switching rod ild actuates the switch LS6 in the upper position of the piston 83. Through this switching operation, the current supply to the stroke termination relay Kill is interrupted, and instead an auxiliary relay piston at top" Kill is energized via a wire '79, which relay effects a renewed motion of the carriage 6 with its contacts Ki l-A in line 5% or Kl ll-B in line $1 and stays excited until the piston b with the pressure platen ll is lowered again.

From the bus 32 branchoff, via a further make contact ltd-C of the left precomrnand relay K6, a line till to four parallel selector buttons SSH-A, B, C and D and to preselect the welding power in the left position of the carriage 6, and via a further make contact it'l C of the right precommand relay K? and a line hi to four parallel selector buttons SSlZ-A, B, C and D to preselect the welding power in the right carriage position. The lines leaving the selector buttons and the bus 43 lead to the controls of the high-frequency welding generator l-lF which is supplied by the primary system 4E. The selector buttons are combined into button blocks SSH and SSH,

respectively (see FIG. 1) and mechanically interlocked block by block so that if one of the four buttons of such a block is operated the previously operated button of this block snaps back into its open position.

in a line d2 which contains a manually operated switch PBM for the welding generator HF, which comes from the lat ters control and returns there, are arranged, in parallel to each other two normally open undelayed contacts TDl-D and TD2-D while in series therewith two normally closed contacts TDl-A and TDZ-A of the welding timer relays TDi and TD2, respectively which are delayed, i.e., respond after the end of the welding cycle, and by which the on and off condition of the welding generator is controlled. The switch PBM can also be designed as a blanking switch and be included, as a fifth button, in one of the button blocks SSilil, S512 (as in FlG. i) so that it snaps back into its closed position after prior operation and therefore, interrupts the line 82, it" one of the selector buttons of this block is pressed again.

The internal construction of the high-frequency generator HF requires no detailed explanation, as such generators per so are sufficiently well known and their internal construction does not form a part of the invention.

The welding and cutting machine according to the invention, described above, operates as follows:

With the closing of the main breaker H on the control panel B the primary wiring system 411, leading to the highfrequency welding generator HP, is connected to the line, and voltage is also applied to the buses 32 and d3 of the secondary wiring system via the transformer TR.

Its the piston it, in the disconnected condition of the machine, is always in the lifted position due to the action of the springs 112, and the carriage is normally in one of its operating positions, for instance, in the left operating position, the upper limit switch LS6 and one of the side limit switches, as for instance, the left switch LS5, are actuated. The consequence of this is that the auxiliary relay piston at top Kit is energized immediately with the closing of the main breaker H and closes its contacts Killl-A and Kit-B which are connected in series with the circuit breaker coils KMZ and KM3, respectively. Of these, however, only the travel to the right breaker with the coil Kit/l3 in the line 51 is ready to be switched, as the switch contact LSLi-A in line 50 in the left carriage position is open. Via the closed switch contact LS-B the limit switch is excited. The direction command relay KX2 in the line 57 closes its contact KXZ-A in line 59 before the wiping relay K4, as well as its contact KX2-B in line es before the precommand relay left" K6. To the wiping relay K4, voltage is thereby applied and it temporarily closes its wiping contact K t-A in the line m, but the contact pressure relay K5 is not energized thereby as the auxiliary relay KX5 in line as is not yet excited and its make contact KX5-A in line 61 is still open. in this manner the piston h is disabled from executing a contact and cutting stroke immediately upon subsequently connecting the pressure medium pump. This requires, rather, first a traversing motion of the carriage 6 into the other work position, as will be explained in greater detail below.

With the closing of the contact KX2-A in line 59, the closing of the setup auxiliary relay K12 in line so is simultaneously prepared. This line, as well as all the other lines between the busses d2, 43 remain, however, currentless for the time being.

By pressing the pump start button Phil, the breaker coil KMll receives voltage. The pump breaker switches on, with its contacts, the motor M1 of the pump21 (FlG. 2) and after release of the start button PBi latches via the contact KlVli-D. Together with the breaker coil KMi the actuating windings SVll and 8V2 of the valves 27 and 3b are simultaneously excited. Valve 27 assumes the closed position shown in FIG. 2, and valve 3th is deflected to the right, whereby it vents the control lines 29 and 23 immediately and thereby also prevents a buildup of pressure in the line 245 leading to the actuator cylinder '7 when the pump 2i starts.

Before the operation proper is started, the machine must be set up, and this separately for both operating positions because of the useability of dies of difierent height, made possible by the invention. To this end, the control line 82 is first opened via the switch P814, so that welding cannot take place during setup.

Now the desired dies are placed on the support plate 2, and the initial contact pressure, equal for both operating positions, is adjusted at the value, by the prmsure switch PS, at which the welding during the course of normal operation is to start. Setting up the machine is started in that operating position in which the carriage 6 just happens to be.

Let us assume that the carriage is in the left position. By turning the setup selector switch S513, its contact SSH-A switches on the relay K12, while the selector switch contact SSH-l3 opens to initiate the sequence of automatic operations described below. Upon switching on relay K12, its contact Ki2-A in line 45 opens, and closes its contact Kl2-B in line 48. The actuating winding SV2 loses its voltage and instead, the actuating winding 8V3 gets voltage, the solenoid valve 30 is deflected to the left in H6. 2, and in the pressure fluid lines 28, 29, 30 as well as 24 a pressure determined by the pressurelimiting valve 35 builds up which causes the piston 8 to be lowered and the pressure platen i! to be pressed with a corresponding force against the die. The closing of the pressure switch PS remains without effect during this pressure buildup, as the open setup switch contact PBlZi-B prevents excitation of the auxiliary relays K5, K6, and therefore, the precommand relays K8, K9 cannot respond either.

With the pressure platen 11 sitting on the die in the assumed left operating position, the end of the stroke is now adjusted, at which in normal operation the return of the piston is to be initiated, in order to prevent, on the one hand, the die from being pressed into the support plate 2 and thereby causing damage to it, but to assure, on the other hand, a reliable severing of the welded materials. This is achieved by varying the screw-in depth of the left switching rod in such a manner that the limit switch LS7 just operates, as indicated by the lighting of the lamp PM. In this position are also adjusted the expected, required welding contact pressure for the left operating position by means of the control DL acting on the pressure limiting valve 35, as well as the expected, required welding time and the subsequent dwell time required for the solidification of the weld by means of the preselection indica tors of the timing relays T101 and TD3, respectively.

Through length adjustment of the switching rod 14 by means of a threaded sleeve designated with 33 in P16. 1, the upper stroke limit, equal for both operating positions can also be adjusted in this position, which limit is determined by a collar be located at the upper part of the rod, which catches the return stroke of the piston 3 at the carriage 6. This adjustment can, of course, also be performed during the setup in the other operating position.

After adjusting the quantities required for the left operating position, the start button for travel-to-the-right PR3 is pressed at the base of the machine, without changing the position of the setup selector switch PBRS. The auxiliary relay K3 in line 55 is excited via the contact PB3-C and opens its contact K343 in line 60. The auxiliary relay K12 thereby becomes currentless and causes, by opening the contact K12-B and closing the contact KiZ-A, a return of the solenoid valve 30 into the right-hand deflected position, in which the pressure in line 24 is vented and the piston 8 is lifted by the spring 12 until the collar 8% abuts the carriage 6. There the switch LS6 is actuated and energizes theauxiliary relay Kilt in line 79, which had opened during the lowering of the piston. Its contact Kit-B (as naturally also its contact K1 i-A) closes and admits voltage from the line 49 to the breaker coil Kit/i3 in line 52 via the make contact PB3A of the start button PBS which must remain pressed down up to then, whereby the travcl-to-theright breaker operates and with its contacts KM? -A, E and C energizes the carriage drive motor M2. blow the start button P33 can be released; the travel-to-the-right breaker latches via its contact KMZi-H until the latching circuit is interrupted again by the opening of the switch contact LSd-A in the right position of the carriage, and the carriage comes to a stop due to the dropping off of the breaker.

At the release of the start button PR3 the auxiliary relay K3 has become currentless again and its break contact lQ-C in the line dli had closed again. However, the auxiliary setup relay, which switches over the contacts KllZ-A and KHZ-B ahead of the valve actuating windings 8V2 and 8V3, could not be excited anew as in the meantime the carriage had been started and the limit switch contact LS-B had deenergized the direction command relay KXZ, via whose make contact KX2-A in line 59 the auxiliary setup relay had previously been excited.

Not until the right limit switch LS4 is actuated by the switching dog 13 at the carriage and disconnects the carriage drive in the manner described before does the auxiliary setup relay get excited again by means of the then operated direction command relay KXB via the latters make contacts iX-A; and the piston h with the pressure platen llli, which has now arrived in the right operating position, is lowered onto the die there. in this position are then performed, with the aid of the switching rod to and the indicator lamp PLZ, the valve adjustment knob DR and the preselection pointer of the relay timers TDZ and 'lD tl, the same adjustments as before in the left operating position, the contact pressure being determined, due to the switching of two-position valve 32, by the righthand pressure limiting valve 36 and being adjustable by rotating the control knob DR at the control panel B.

if now the setup selector switch P813 is switched back into its normal position, the auxiliary setup relay K12 drops with the opening of the contact KllS-A in line so, whereby also the contacts ltllZ-A and lUlZ-B assume their rest position as shown in Fit]. 3, and the actuating winding SVZ is again excited instead of the actuating winding SVZi. The solenoid valve 3% is again deflected to the right and permits the piston 8 to return, through the action of the springs T2, to its upper position, where the relay hill in line '79 is again switched on by the switch LS6. Meanwhile the direction command relay KXE remains energized via the make contact LS4lB of the right limit switch LS4 and keeps its contacts wilt-A closed ahead of the wiping relay lid, and KX3B ahead of the precomrnand relay K7.

The welding power for the two operating positions is preselected by pressing each time one of the selector buttons on the button blocks SSH and SSilZ (FIG. l) and the highfrequency welding generator must be-made ready for operation by closing the switch PBM. Then, the normal operation of the machine can begin.

Under the assumption made above that the carriage s, after the adjustments have been made in both operating positions, is finally in the right position, the materials to be welded are first placed on the support plate 2 and the die is put in place. Then the start button P32 which is located at the right of the machine to insure that the operator has finished work at the left half of the support plate is pressed.

As the auxiliary relay contact Kill-A is closed while the piston d is positioned in the upper position, the closing contact PBZ-A of the start button P82 allows voltage to get to the travel-to-the-left breaker KM2, which operates and latches via the contact ltMZ-lil. The left-travel breaker connects, via the contacts lilVlZ-A, B and C, the carriage drive motor M2, until the latter has reached its left operating position and the switch LS5, actuated by the leh switching cam 13, terminates the carriage motion through its contact LS5-A.

When the start button PBZ is pressed, its contact P5243 mso closes and excites the auxiliary relay K2. The latters contact k124i switches on, in line 63, the auxiliary relay KXE which after the release of the start button P82 and the dropping of the auxiliary relay K2 latches via its contact iQXL B and furthermore closes, in preparation, the contact itXi-A ahead of the pressure relay K5 in line 611. The latter, however, is not yet able to operate, as in the meantime, with. the removal of the right switching cam 13 from the end switch L8 3, the auxiliary relay KXEi has lost voltage, the contact ill.

l(X3A, parallel to the also open contact KXZ-A, has opened, the wiping relay lid has dropped out and its contact lll-A in line oil has opened. Not until the left switching cam 1.3 at the carriage s actuates the left limit switch LS5 and switches olT, via the formers break contact K5-A, the travel-to-the-left breaker KMZ, is the direction command relay left IKXZ excited, via the simultaneously closing contact LS5-3, and its contact liXZ-B ahead of the wiping relay l, is closed. The latter generates with its wiping contact lid-A a short switching pulse in the preparatory line all to the pressure relay K5, which latches instantaneously via its make contact KS-B and furthermore switches over its contact l(.5-A in line 45, whereby the actuating winding 8V2 is disconnected and the actuating winding 8V3 is connected and the piston 8 is lowered in the manner described above.

With the operation of the direction command relay left lX2 at the end of the carriage motion the precornmand relay K6 in line as is also excited via the formers make contact KXZ-B, relay lib latching via the make contact lid-B and furthermore closing, in preparation, the contact lie-A in line '70.

The pressure in the actuator cylinder 7 required to overcome the restoring force of the springs 12 is initially small. Only when the pressure platen ii is placed on the die does the pressure increase; it first reaches the actuating pressure of the pressure switch PS and then increases further to the full contact pressure determined by the pressure limiting valve 35. With the operation of the pressure switch, the auxiliary relay Kb is excited via the already closed relay contact K6-A, and via its make contact Kit-A the welding timer relay TDl is switched on. The latter closes through its no delay contact TDi1-D the control line 82 of the welding generator and switches the latter on until, after the preset time has run down, the delay contact TDl-A opens and the welding generator is disconnected. Simultaneously the delay contact TDll-B closes the line 76 and switches on the associated dwell time relay TD3. While the latter runs down, the weld solidifies. Then its delay contact TDIi-A in line 47 opens and also deenergizes the actuating winding 8V3. The solenoid valve Elli thereupon assumes its center position and permits the pressure in line 24 to rise to the maximum pump pressure, which severs the welded materials by means of the die.

On the basis of the adjustment of the stroke terminating switches LS7 and LS8, after the welded materials have been severed, the switch LS7, the current path through which to the relay Kill in line had already been closed, in preparation, by the auxiliary relay contact Kfl-C becomes effective. In this connection, the switch LSd remains ineffective due to the open auxiliary relay contact K943, if it has already been operated previously. The termination relay Kill operates, latches via its make contact Kill-C and the switchover contact LS6 which is in its rest position, and switches its switching contact Kill /h in line 35 directly to the actuating winding 8V2, through the excitation of which the solenoid valve 30 is again deflected to the right and the piston 8 with the pressure platen Eli returns to the raised position in the manner described above. Simultaneously the contact Kill-B in line as opens and interrupts the latching of relay l as well as of relay K6, whereby relay lid also drops out. At the end of the return motion of the piston ii the switchover contact LS6 in line 78 is actuated again, interrupts the latching of the termination relay Kill and switches on again the auxiliary relay lillll in preparation of the next movement of the carriage 6.

With this, the machine is again ready for operation, and after placing the materials to be welded and the corresponding die on the right-hand part of the support plate 2, the carriage 6 with piston 8 and pressure platen it can be moved to the right by pressing the start button PBS, where the welding and cutting operation is performed in a similar manner.

Certain safety regulations require that a cutting stroke of more than 12 mm. can be carried out only it both hands of the operator are tied to the operation of suitable pushbuttons. This means that in the case of operation with only one hand, the piston must return after an excursion of 12 mm. even if the llll pressure platen ill. does not yet make contact with the die. For compliance with this requirement, the impulse switch LS9 in line 76 is provided (see also PM). i), which closes after a piston stroke of i2 mm. and energizes the termination relay Mil which then initiates, via its switching contact Kill-A, the immediate return of the piston d.

in order to permit the piston 8 to execute a stroke of more than 12 mm., the operator must press with the other hand, in addition to the proper start button PR2 or PS3, respectively, the two-hand safety tie button at the center of the machine, and he must press both buttons until the pressure platen 11 has been lowered onto the die and the welding generator is switched on. This two-hand system has the effect that the contact ltltl-It in line 76 as well as one of the contacts kit-B, limb serially connected in parallel thereto of the auxiliary relays M2, M3 which can be switched on only via the start buttons, open and make ineffective the closing of the impulse switch LS9 after a stroke of 12 mm. until this operation is taken over at the start of the welding process by one of the series-connected break contacts lid-B, K95-B, whose relay coil lib or hi9, respectively, is switched on by the pressure switch when the contact pressure in the actuator cylinder builds up. If the buttons PBZ or PBS, respectively, and P310 are now released by the operator, there is no longer any danger to the hands.

in order to switch the machine off, which is nonnally done in one of the end positions of the carriage 6 with the piston 3 raised, the pump stop key ST is pressed and the main breaker H switched off, in that order. it is also sufficient to switch off only the main breaker, as with interruption of the current in the breaker coil KMl the latching contact kMi-D also opens, and in any event the pressure fluid pump starts up upon renewed switching-on of the main breaker only if the pump start button PM is operated.

When the main breaker H is switched off, the three-way solenoid valve 3b assumes its center position in which the line 28 is closed off. Simultaneously, however, the two-position solenoid valve 27 returns to its rest position and vents the line 2% directly into the sump. Thereby a pressure buildup in line 24 is prevented, should the pump 21 and the motor continue to rotate after the switchoff point of the main breaker H, due to their inertial masses.

Although the invention has been illustrated as applied to a welding and cutting press having two working positions and two corresponding sets of independently adjustable control means for establishing certain operating conditions, it will be understood that the principle of the invention of providing a set of adjustable control means determining a plurality of operating conditions for each working position together with means for operatively connecting the appropriate set in accordance with the working position of the platen, may be applied in a press having any given number of plural working positions.

We claim:

1. in a welding and cutting press having a work support:

a platen mounted above said support for movement toward and away therefrom and for movement transversely of said support into and out of a plurality of working positions in which the platen is engageable by movement toward the support with dies disposed thereon in a corresponding plurality of adjacent working areas of the support;

power operated means for moving said platen;

a high-frequency electric power generator;

means for connecting the output of said generator to the platen in each working position thereof;

in combination therewith;

a control connected to said power operated means and to said high-frequency generator and operable selectively to determine the working position of the platen;

said control comprising a plurality of sets corresponding to the number of work areas, each set having a plurality of adjustable control means, each set being separately pread ustable and operative upon connection in said control for determining a plurality of operating conditions in accordance with the adjustment of its control means; and means for operatively connecting different ones of said sets in said control in accordance with the working position of said platen, and means operated by said control for selectively establishing a predetermined platen pressure at anyone of several predetermined values for idling, welding, and cutting.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said control means are operative to automatically establish at each work area:

a preadjusted welding contact pressure.

welding time;

welding power;

dwell time for solidification of the weld; and

lower limit of the cutting stroke.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said power operated means for moving the platen toward and away from said support comprises a pump, a single-action expansible-chambertype motor and means for connecting said motor and said pump for the supply of pressure fluid to the motor and in which said platen pressure control means includes valve means communicating with said connecting means and operative selectively to establish the fluid pressure at any one of several predetermined values whereby control of the platen pressure for idling, welding, and cutting is afforded.

4. Apparatus as in claim ll wherein said power operated means comprises a fluid-pressure-operated motor for moving the platen toward said support and wherein said control additionally comprises a fluid-pressure operated switch for sensing the pressure of fluid in said motor, and means controlled by said switch in response to the sensing of a predetermined pressure for initiating the preadjusted supply of energy to said platen from said generator. 

1. In a welding and cutting press having a work support: a platen mounted above said support for movement toward and away therefRom and for movement transversely of said support into and out of a plurality of working positions in which the platen is engageable by movement toward the support with dies disposed thereon in a corresponding plurality of adjacent working areas of the support; power operated means for moving said platen; a high-frequency electric power generator; means for connecting the output of said generator to the platen in each working position thereof; in combination therewith; a control connected to said power operated means and to said high-frequency generator and operable selectively to determine the working position of the platen; said control comprising a plurality of sets corresponding to the number of work areas, each set having a plurality of adjustable control means, each set being separately preadjustable and operative upon connection in said control for determining a plurality of operating conditions in accordance with the adjustment of its control means; and means for operatively connecting different ones of said sets in said control in accordance with the working position of said platen, and means operated by said control for selectively establishing a predetermined platen pressure at anyone of several predetermined values for idling, welding, and cutting.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said control means are operative to automatically establish at each work area: a preadjusted welding contact pressure. welding time; welding power; dwell time for solidification of the weld; and lower limit of the cutting stroke.
 3. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which said power operated means for moving the platen toward and away from said support comprises a pump, a single-action expansible-chamber-type motor and means for connecting said motor and said pump for the supply of pressure fluid to the motor and in which said platen pressure control means includes valve means communicating with said connecting means and operative selectively to establish the fluid pressure at any one of several predetermined values whereby control of the platen pressure for idling, welding, and cutting is afforded.
 4. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said power operated means comprises a fluid-pressure-operated motor for moving the platen toward said support and wherein said control additionally comprises a fluid-pressure-operated switch for sensing the pressure of fluid in said motor, and means controlled by said switch in response to the sensing of a predetermined pressure for initiating the preadjusted supply of energy to said platen from said generator. 